Arbon, Switzerland
Encyclopedia
Arbon is a municipality
and district capital of the district of Arbon
in the canton
of Thurgau
in Switzerland
.
between Romanshorn
and Rorschach. On the south, the municipality borders the canton of St. Gallen. St. Gallen
is the nearest larger city.
The surrounding hills are remaining moraine
s of the Rhine glacier that existed in prehistoric times.
The surrounding municipalities are (counter-clockwise from the north): Egnach
, Roggwil
, Berg
, Steinach
, and Horn
. Lake Constance forms the municipality boundary on the northeast and east.
Arbon has an area, , of 5.94 square kilometres (2.3 sq mi). Of this area, 2.23 km² (0.861007813661353 sq mi) or 37.5% is used for agricultural purposes, while 0.32 km² (0.123552690749611 sq mi) or 5.4% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 3.31 km² (1.3 sq mi) or 55.7% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.04 km² (9.9 acre) or 0.7% is either rivers or lakes and 0.03 km² (7.4 acre) or 0.5% is unproductive land.
Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 27.8% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 9.9% and transportation infrastructure made up 1.5%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 5.4% of the area while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 11.1%. Out of the forested land, 2.4% of the total land area is heavily forested and 3.0% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 29.3% is used for growing crops, while 8.2% is used for orchards or vine crops.
Although Arbon has an area of only 5.9 km², it is divided into six neighborhoods. The Altstadt is in the center and has the typical medieval buildings and narrow streets. Efforts have been made in recent years to reduce automobile traffic in the center. Bergli is named after the hill on which it lies. The southern part of Arbon started as a working-class neighborhood during industrialization. It includes the neighborhoods of Neustadt, Bleiche, and Stacherholz. This industrial area has a limit placed on new development.
Stachen and Frasnacht are independent parts of the municipality that were incorporated in 1998. Stachen and Arbon have grown together, but there is still a rural stretch between Frasnacht and the other two.
Lake Constance assures that the climate in Arbon is mild, both summer and winter.
The warm winds from the west bring heavy rainfall as they meet the dry, cold, continental winds from the northeast. The warm Föhn that comes over the Alps
from the south is felt as far as Arbon.
In the summer, warm electrical storms are common. Arbon has a storm warning system for boats on Lake Constance and works closely with neighboring towns.
Average January temperatures lie between -2 °C. Average July temperatures range from 15 to 18 °C (59 to 64.4 ). Average annual precipitation is between 80 and 100 cm.
The prevailing winds make Lake Constance a favorite for sailing and wind surfing.
In the winter, ponds and the lake slowly freeze. In 1963, Lake Constance froze over, something that only happens about every 100 years.
. Archaeological digs in 1885 and 1944 have uncovered stilt houses from the Stone and Bronze Age
s. At first, it was assumed that these were built over water, since they were raised on stilts. However, it is now known that they were on the shore and were built in this fashion because the ground was swampy.
During Roman
times, Bergli was probably a Roman fort. The raised situation and view over the lake were strategically important. Since 1957, regular excavations have shown the remains of late Roman fortifications. The Latin
name of Arbon, Arbor Felix (meaning happy tree), first appears in around 280 and is mentioned in the Itinerarium Antonini in 300.
According to the chronicles of Ammianus Marcellinus
, Emperor Gratian
went to Arbon in 378, and stayed there until 401.
In the 8th century, the area became part of the territory of the Franks
.
In 610, Irish monks who were followers of Columban of Luxeuil settled in Arbon. They found a small Christian settlement called Castrum there. One of these monks was St. Gallus
, the founder of the monastery of St. Gallen. He died in 627 in Arbon. In 720, a fortification on the site of the present castle was built by a Frankish troop. The foundations of this early fortress remain. The first written mention of Arbon is in "Itinerarium Antonini" of 771 where it is mentioned as in pago Arbonense.
Ecclesiastically, Arbon belonged to the territory of the Bishop of Constance. In 1255, Bishop Eberhard von Waldburg gave Arbon a dispensation for market rights in the area and built the city wall. That century saw an influx of inhabitants from the surrounding farms. From 1262 to 1264, and again in 1266, the young Duke of Swabia
, Conradin
of Hohenstaufen, resided in Arbon because the Bishop of Constance was his guardian. The surrounding towns of Steinach, Mörschwil, Horn, Goldach, Egnach, Roggwil, and Steinebrunn all belonged to the parish of Arbon.
The 14th century saw further growth. Linen production and other crafts developed. Between 1322 and 1334, Bishop Rudolf von Montfort rebuilt the crumbling fortress. A fire of unknown cause in 1390 destroyed much of the Altstadt. A second fire in 1494 was set by the sons of a hanged thief.
When Thurgau was conquered by the Swiss Eidgenossen in 1460, the Bishops of Constance retained Arbon. However, in the Swabian War
of 1499, they lost civil rights over the territory, retaining only ecclesiastical supremacy. Arbon then became part of the Old Swiss Confederacy
.
The castle of Arbon in its present form was built in 1515 by Bishop Hugo von Hohenlandenberg
. The tower is older and dates to 993.
In 1525, the first stirrings of the Reformation
reached Arbon. In 1537, the reformed congregation was forced to return the church of St. Martin to the Catholic Church and meet in the chapel in Erdhausen, although only a small minority of the population remained Catholic. Religious conflict continued until the 18th century. In 1712, Thurgau declared equality for the various faiths.
In the 18th century, the linen and embroidery industry was established in Arbon. The industrialists built attractive villas in the area, such as the «Rotes Haus» built in 1750.
In 1798, Thurgau was occupied by French troops, along with much of the rest of Switzerland. The adoption of the Swiss constitution ended Arbon's dependence on the Bishops of Constance. The Bishop's representative, Franz Xaver Wirz von Rudenz, was forced to leave the city. In 1803, Arbon became part of the new canton of Thurgau. From 1803 to 1815, Arbon and Horn (an exclave in the canton of St. Gallen) were united in one municipality.
In the 19th century, Arbon developed into an economic and manufacturing center. This occurred primarily because of the pioneering efforts of industrialist Franz Saurer, who move his foundry from St. Gallen to Arbon in 1863. Starting in 1888, his factory built all kinds of machinery and motors. Until 1983, the factory produced trucks and buses, and until 1986 military vehicles. Today, the factory produces only textile machinery. At its high point, the factory employed 5000 workers. The population grew from 660 in 1844 to over 10,000 at the turn of the century.
Since the beginning of the 20th century, Arbon has had a large non-Swiss minority. Tensions between ethnic groups led to riots with several fatalities in 1902.
In 1911, Arbon was the site of the International Socialist Congress. From the 1920s to the 1950s, the Social Democratic majority held power in the city, and it was known as red Arbon.
(just across Lake Constance) and flight from the frontiers. However, after the war, the population returned.
Today, because of the addition of Frasnacht, Stachen, Kratzern, Speiserlehn, and Fetzisloh, the population is . , 28.9% of the population are foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of 0.7%. , most of the population speaks German
(84.5%), with Italian
being second most common (4.0%) and Serbo-Croatian
being third (2.9%). Arbon is now the third-largest city in the canton, after Frauenfeld
and Kreuzlingen
.
The historical population is given in the following table:
.
From the , 5,090 or 39.4% were Roman Catholic, while 4,176 or 32.4% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church
. Of the rest of the population, there were 8 Old Catholics (or about 0.06% of the population) who belonged to the Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland
there are 371 individuals (or about 2.87% of the population) who belong to the Orthodox Church, and there are 449 individuals (or about 3.48% of the population) who belong to another Christian church. There was 1 individual who was Jewish
, and 1,167 (or about 9.04% of the population) who are Islam
ic. There are 104 individuals (or about 0.81% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), 941 (or about 7.29% of the population) belong to no church, are agnostic
or atheist
, and 599 individuals (or about 4.64% of the population) did not answer the question.
In there were 74 live births to Swiss citizens and 33 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 131 deaths of Swiss citizens and 10 non-Swiss citizen deaths. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 57 while the foreign population increased by 23. There was 1 Swiss man, 2 Swiss women who emigrated from Switzerland to another country, 128 non-Swiss men who emigrated from Switzerland to another country and 95 non-Swiss women who emigrated from Switzerland to another country. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources) was an increase of 16 and the non-Swiss population change was an increase of 170 people. This represents a population growth rate of 1.4%.
The age distribution, , in Arbon is; 1,215 children or 9.0% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 1,501 teenagers or 11.2% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 1,783 people or 13.3% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 1,708 people or 12.7% are between 30 and 39, 2,224 people or 16.6% are between 40 and 49, and 1,690 people or 12.6% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 1,476 people or 11.0% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 1,080 people or 8.0% are between 70 and 79, there are 625 people or 4.7% who are between 80 and 89, and there are 128 people or 1.0% who are 90 and older.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.57 which is about equal to the cantonal average of 0.56 per room. In this case, a room is defined as space of a housing unit of at least 4 m² (43.1 sq ft) as normal bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, kitchens and habitable cellars and attics.
About 26% of the total households were owner occupied, or in other words did not pay rent (though they may have a mortgage
or a rent-to-own agreement). , there were 5,678 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.2 persons per household. there were 931 single family homes (or 56.6% of the total) out of a total of 1,646 inhabited buildings. There were 135 two family buildings (8.2%), 147 three family buildings (8.9%) and 433 multi-family buildings (or 26.3%). There were 3,250 (or 25.2%) persons who were part of a couple without children, and 6,146 (or 47.6%) who were part of a couple with children. There were 857 (or 6.6%) people who lived in single parent home, while there are 87 persons who were adult children living with one or both parents, 61 persons who lived in a household made up of relatives, 92 who lived in a household made up of unrelated persons, and 351 who are either institutionalized or live in another type of collective housing.
The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 1.73%. , the construction rate of new housing units was 1.3 new units per 1000 residents. there were 6,400 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was the 4 room apartment of which there were 2,164. There were 267 single room apartments and 485 apartments with six or more rooms. the average price to rent an average apartment in Arbon was 979.90 Swiss franc
s (CHF) per month (US$780, £440, €630 approx. exchange rate from 2000). The average rate for a one room apartment was 490.98 CHF (US$390, £220, €310), a two room apartment was about 729.51 CHF (US$580, £330, €470), a three room apartment was about 897.10 CHF (US$720, £400, €570) and a six or more room apartment cost an average of 1453.57 CHF (US$1160, £650, €930). The average apartment price in Arbon was 87.8% of the national average of 1116 CHF.
).
Arbon is home to the Arbon primary school district. It is also home to the Arbon secondary school district.In the 2008/2009 school year there are 884 students in the primary school district. There are 203 children in the kindergarten
, and the average class size is 18.45 kindergartners. Of the children in kindergarten, 89 or 43.8% are female, 83 or 40.9% are not Swiss citizens and 16 or 7.9% do not speak German natively. The lower and upper primary levels begin at about age 5-6 and lasts for 6 years. There are 356 children in who are at the lower primary level and 325 children in the upper primary level. The average class size in the primary school is 21.17 students. At the lower primary level, there are 167 children or 46.9% of the total population who are female, 146 or 41.0% are not Swiss citizens and 4 or 1.1% do not speak German natively. In the upper primary level, there are 148 or 45.5% who are female, 126 or 38.8% are not Swiss citizens and 3 or 0.9% do not speak German natively.
In the secondary school district there are 585 students. At the secondary level, students are divided according to performance. The secondary level begins at about age 12 and usually lasts 3 years. There are 299 teenagers who are in the advanced school, of which 154 or 51.5% are female, 45 or 15.1% are not Swiss citizens and 8 or 2.7% do not speak German natively. There are 262 teenagers who are in the standard school, of which 124 or 47.3% are female, 112 or 42.7% are not Swiss citizens and 21 or 8.0% do not speak German natively. Finally, there are 24 teenagers who are in special or remedial classes, of which 11 or 45.8% are female, 11 or 45.8% are not Swiss citizens and 4 or 16.7% do not speak German natively. The average class size for all classes at the secondary level is 20.04 students.
Arbon is home to the Stadtbibliothek Arbon library. The library has 1,026 books or other media, and loaned out 56,588 items in the same year. It was open a total of 250 days with average of 14.5 hours per week during that year.
In the 2007 federal election
the most popular party was the SVP
which received 37.45% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP
(22.45%), the CVP
(13.82%) and the FDP
(11.29%). In the federal election, a total of 3,033 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
was 38.2%.
. Before, there was only a curvy cantonal road.
Arbon is also on the sea line to Rorschach, Romanshorn
, and Kreuzlingen. Two bus lines serve traffic to Amriswil
and St. Gallen.
Church of St Martin, Arbon Castle
and Historical Museum and the Late-Roman Fortress are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance
. The entire city of Arbon is an ISOS
city, as is the hamlet
of Kratzern
Municipalities of Switzerland
Communes , also known as municipalities, are the smallest government division in Switzerland, numbering 2,596 . While many have a population of a few hundred citizens, the largest cities such as Zürich or Geneva also have the legal status of municipalities...
and district capital of the district of Arbon
Arbon (district)
Arbon District is one of the five districts of the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland. It has a population of .Its capital is the town of Arbon.The district contains the following municipalities:...
in the canton
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
of Thurgau
Thurgau
Thurgau is a northeast canton of Switzerland. The population, , is . In 2007, there were a total of 47,390 who were resident foreigners. The capital is Frauenfeld.-History:...
in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
Geography
Arbon is situated on a peninsula on the southwest shore of Lake ConstanceLake Constance
Lake Constance is a lake on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps, and consists of three bodies of water: the Obersee , the Untersee , and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, called the Seerhein.The lake is situated in Germany, Switzerland and Austria near the Alps...
between Romanshorn
Romanshorn
Romanshorn is a municipality in the district of Arbon in the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland.-History:Romanshorn was probably settled in the 7th Century, and is first mentioned in 779 as Rumanishorn in a land grant from Waldrata to the Abbey of St. Gall. During the Late Middle Ages and until...
and Rorschach. On the south, the municipality borders the canton of St. Gallen. St. Gallen
St. Gallen
St. Gallen is the capital of the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. It evolved from the hermitage of Saint Gall, founded in the 7th century. Today, it is a large urban agglomeration and represents the center of eastern Switzerland. The town mainly relies on the service sector for its economic...
is the nearest larger city.
The surrounding hills are remaining moraine
Moraine
A moraine is any glacially formed accumulation of unconsolidated glacial debris which can occur in currently glaciated and formerly glaciated regions, such as those areas acted upon by a past glacial maximum. This debris may have been plucked off a valley floor as a glacier advanced or it may have...
s of the Rhine glacier that existed in prehistoric times.
The surrounding municipalities are (counter-clockwise from the north): Egnach
Egnach
Egnach is a municipality of the district of Arbon in the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland.-History:Egnach is first mentioned in 1155 as Egena. By the 9th Century it appears to have belonged to the Bishopric of Constance and was part of the upper Bailiwick of Arbon...
, Roggwil
Roggwil
Roggwil is the name of two municipalities of Switzerland:*Roggwil, Bern*Roggwil, Thurgau...
, Berg
Berg, St. Gallen
Berg is a municipality in the Wahlkreis of Rorschach in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.-History:Berg is first mentioned in 796 as ad Berga. In 837 it was mentioned as in villa nominata Perc.-Geography:...
, Steinach
Steinach, St. Gallen
Steinach is a municipality in the Wahlkreis of Rorschach in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.-Geography:Steinach has an area, , of . Of this area, 63.4% is used for agricultural purposes, while 6.9% is forested...
, and Horn
Horn, Switzerland
Horn is a municipality in the district of Arbon in the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland. Horn is an exclave of Thurgau, enclaved in the canton of St. Gallen.-History:...
. Lake Constance forms the municipality boundary on the northeast and east.
| Roggwil Roggwil Roggwil is the name of two municipalities of Switzerland:*Roggwil, Bern*Roggwil, Thurgau... |
Egnach Egnach Egnach is a municipality of the district of Arbon in the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland.-History:Egnach is first mentioned in 1155 as Egena. By the 9th Century it appears to have belonged to the Bishopric of Constance and was part of the upper Bailiwick of Arbon... |
Lake Constance Lake Constance Lake Constance is a lake on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps, and consists of three bodies of water: the Obersee , the Untersee , and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, called the Seerhein.The lake is situated in Germany, Switzerland and Austria near the Alps... |
| Roggwil Roggwil Roggwil is the name of two municipalities of Switzerland:*Roggwil, Bern*Roggwil, Thurgau... |
 |
Lake Constance Lake Constance Lake Constance is a lake on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps, and consists of three bodies of water: the Obersee , the Untersee , and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, called the Seerhein.The lake is situated in Germany, Switzerland and Austria near the Alps... |
| Berg Berg, St. Gallen Berg is a municipality in the Wahlkreis of Rorschach in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.-History:Berg is first mentioned in 796 as ad Berga. In 837 it was mentioned as in villa nominata Perc.-Geography:... |
Steinach Steinach, St. Gallen Steinach is a municipality in the Wahlkreis of Rorschach in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.-Geography:Steinach has an area, , of . Of this area, 63.4% is used for agricultural purposes, while 6.9% is forested... |
Horn Horn, Switzerland Horn is a municipality in the district of Arbon in the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland. Horn is an exclave of Thurgau, enclaved in the canton of St. Gallen.-History:... |
Arbon has an area, , of 5.94 square kilometres (2.3 sq mi). Of this area, 2.23 km² (0.861007813661353 sq mi) or 37.5% is used for agricultural purposes, while 0.32 km² (0.123552690749611 sq mi) or 5.4% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 3.31 km² (1.3 sq mi) or 55.7% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.04 km² (9.9 acre) or 0.7% is either rivers or lakes and 0.03 km² (7.4 acre) or 0.5% is unproductive land.
Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 27.8% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 9.9% and transportation infrastructure made up 1.5%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 5.4% of the area while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 11.1%. Out of the forested land, 2.4% of the total land area is heavily forested and 3.0% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 29.3% is used for growing crops, while 8.2% is used for orchards or vine crops.
Although Arbon has an area of only 5.9 km², it is divided into six neighborhoods. The Altstadt is in the center and has the typical medieval buildings and narrow streets. Efforts have been made in recent years to reduce automobile traffic in the center. Bergli is named after the hill on which it lies. The southern part of Arbon started as a working-class neighborhood during industrialization. It includes the neighborhoods of Neustadt, Bleiche, and Stacherholz. This industrial area has a limit placed on new development.
Stachen and Frasnacht are independent parts of the municipality that were incorporated in 1998. Stachen and Arbon have grown together, but there is still a rural stretch between Frasnacht and the other two.
Climate
The warm winds from the west bring heavy rainfall as they meet the dry, cold, continental winds from the northeast. The warm Föhn that comes over the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
from the south is felt as far as Arbon.
Average January temperatures lie between -2 °C. Average July temperatures range from 15 to 18 °C (59 to 64.4 ). Average annual precipitation is between 80 and 100 cm.
The prevailing winds make Lake Constance a favorite for sailing and wind surfing.
In the winter, ponds and the lake slowly freeze. In 1963, Lake Constance froze over, something that only happens about every 100 years.
History
The shores of Lake Constance near Arbon have been inhabited since the Stone AgeStone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
. Archaeological digs in 1885 and 1944 have uncovered stilt houses from the Stone and Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
s. At first, it was assumed that these were built over water, since they were raised on stilts. However, it is now known that they were on the shore and were built in this fashion because the ground was swampy.
During Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
times, Bergli was probably a Roman fort. The raised situation and view over the lake were strategically important. Since 1957, regular excavations have shown the remains of late Roman fortifications. The Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
name of Arbon, Arbor Felix (meaning happy tree), first appears in around 280 and is mentioned in the Itinerarium Antonini in 300.
According to the chronicles of Ammianus Marcellinus
Ammianus Marcellinus
Ammianus Marcellinus was a fourth-century Roman historian. He wrote the penultimate major historical account surviving from Antiquity...
, Emperor Gratian
Gratian
Gratian was Roman Emperor from 375 to 383.The eldest son of Valentinian I, during his youth Gratian accompanied his father on several campaigns along the Rhine and Danube frontiers. Upon the death of Valentinian in 375, Gratian's brother Valentinian II was declared emperor by his father's soldiers...
went to Arbon in 378, and stayed there until 401.
In the 8th century, the area became part of the territory of the Franks
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
.
In 610, Irish monks who were followers of Columban of Luxeuil settled in Arbon. They found a small Christian settlement called Castrum there. One of these monks was St. Gallus
Gallus
Gallus may refer to:People* several ancient Romans; see Gallus * Gaius Cornelius Gallus , Roman poet, orator and politician *Saint Gall , 7th century...
, the founder of the monastery of St. Gallen. He died in 627 in Arbon. In 720, a fortification on the site of the present castle was built by a Frankish troop. The foundations of this early fortress remain. The first written mention of Arbon is in "Itinerarium Antonini" of 771 where it is mentioned as in pago Arbonense.
Ecclesiastically, Arbon belonged to the territory of the Bishop of Constance. In 1255, Bishop Eberhard von Waldburg gave Arbon a dispensation for market rights in the area and built the city wall. That century saw an influx of inhabitants from the surrounding farms. From 1262 to 1264, and again in 1266, the young Duke of Swabia
Duke of Swabia
The following is a list of Dukes of Swabia in southwest Germany.Swabia was one of the five stem duchies of the medieval German kingdom, and its dukes were thus among the most powerful magnates of Germany. The most notable family to hold Swabia were the Hohenstaufen, who held it, with a brief...
, Conradin
Conradin
Conrad , called the Younger or the Boy, but usually known by the diminutive Conradin , was the Duke of Swabia , King of Jerusalem , and King of Sicily .-Early childhood:Conradin was born in Wolfstein, Bavaria, to Conrad...
of Hohenstaufen, resided in Arbon because the Bishop of Constance was his guardian. The surrounding towns of Steinach, Mörschwil, Horn, Goldach, Egnach, Roggwil, and Steinebrunn all belonged to the parish of Arbon.
The 14th century saw further growth. Linen production and other crafts developed. Between 1322 and 1334, Bishop Rudolf von Montfort rebuilt the crumbling fortress. A fire of unknown cause in 1390 destroyed much of the Altstadt. A second fire in 1494 was set by the sons of a hanged thief.
When Thurgau was conquered by the Swiss Eidgenossen in 1460, the Bishops of Constance retained Arbon. However, in the Swabian War
Swabian War
The Swabian War of 1499 was the last major armed conflict between the Old Swiss Confederacy and the House of Habsburg...
of 1499, they lost civil rights over the territory, retaining only ecclesiastical supremacy. Arbon then became part of the Old Swiss Confederacy
Old Swiss Confederacy
The Old Swiss Confederacy was the precursor of modern-day Switzerland....
.
The castle of Arbon in its present form was built in 1515 by Bishop Hugo von Hohenlandenberg
Hugo von Hohenlandenberg
Hugo von Hohenlandenberg was Bishop of Konstanz from 1496 to 1529, and again in 1530 and 1531 until his death in 1532.-Biography:...
. The tower is older and dates to 993.
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
reached Arbon. In 1537, the reformed congregation was forced to return the church of St. Martin to the Catholic Church and meet in the chapel in Erdhausen, although only a small minority of the population remained Catholic. Religious conflict continued until the 18th century. In 1712, Thurgau declared equality for the various faiths.
In the 19th century, Arbon developed into an economic and manufacturing center. This occurred primarily because of the pioneering efforts of industrialist Franz Saurer, who move his foundry from St. Gallen to Arbon in 1863. Starting in 1888, his factory built all kinds of machinery and motors. Until 1983, the factory produced trucks and buses, and until 1986 military vehicles. Today, the factory produces only textile machinery. At its high point, the factory employed 5000 workers. The population grew from 660 in 1844 to over 10,000 at the turn of the century.
Since the beginning of the 20th century, Arbon has had a large non-Swiss minority. Tensions between ethnic groups led to riots with several fatalities in 1902.
In 1911, Arbon was the site of the International Socialist Congress. From the 1920s to the 1950s, the Social Democratic majority held power in the city, and it was known as red Arbon.
Population
Between 1860 and 1910, the population grew extensively because of industrialization. Arbon became the biggest city in the canton of Thurgau. During World War II, the population shrank due to the proximity of GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(just across Lake Constance) and flight from the frontiers. However, after the war, the population returned.
Today, because of the addition of Frasnacht, Stachen, Kratzern, Speiserlehn, and Fetzisloh, the population is . , 28.9% of the population are foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of 0.7%. , most of the population speaks German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
(84.5%), with Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
being second most common (4.0%) and Serbo-Croatian
Serbo-Croatian language
Serbo-Croatian or Serbo-Croat, less commonly Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian , is a South Slavic language with multiple standards and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro...
being third (2.9%). Arbon is now the third-largest city in the canton, after Frauenfeld
Frauenfeld
Frauenfeld is the capital of the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland.-Early history:The earliest trace of human settlement are several La Tène era graves to the east of Langdorf. The Roman road from Oberwinterthur to Pfyn ran through what is now the Allmend in Frauenfeld. Two Roman villas were...
and Kreuzlingen
Kreuzlingen
Kreuzlingen is a municipality in the district of Kreuzlingen in the canton of Thurgau in north-eastern Switzerland. It is the seat of the district and is the second largest city of the canton, after Frauenfeld, with a population of over 18,000...
.
The historical population is given in the following table:
| year | population (Municipality) | population (Bürgergemeinde Bürgergemeinde The Bürgergemeinde is a statutory corporation in public law in Switzerland... ) |
|---|---|---|
| 1824 | 645 | |
| 1850 | 927 | |
| 1870 | 1,919 | 1,396 |
| 1888 | 3,073 | 2,500 |
| 1910 | 10,299 | 9,598 |
| 1941 | 8,570 | 7,897 |
| 1970 | 13,122 | 12,227 |
| 1990 | 12,415 | 11,043 |
Religion
Like many places in the canton of Thurgau, Arbon is divided between Lutheran/Reformed and Catholic. St. Martin is Catholic, as is the nearby Gallus Chapel. Bergli has a Lutheran church, and Freikirchen a Methodist one. Recently, there has been an influx of Moslems from the Balkans, particularly from KosovoKosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
.
From the , 5,090 or 39.4% were Roman Catholic, while 4,176 or 32.4% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church
Swiss Reformed Church
The Reformed branch of Protestantism in Switzerland was started in Zürich by Huldrych Zwingli and spread within a few years to Basel , Bern , St...
. Of the rest of the population, there were 8 Old Catholics (or about 0.06% of the population) who belonged to the Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland
Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland
The Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland is the Swiss member church of the Union of Utrecht, also known as Old Catholic Church, originally founded by the jansenists, with a later influx of discontented Catholics following their disappointment with the First Vatican Council. It has 14,000...
there are 371 individuals (or about 2.87% of the population) who belong to the Orthodox Church, and there are 449 individuals (or about 3.48% of the population) who belong to another Christian church. There was 1 individual who was Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, and 1,167 (or about 9.04% of the population) who are Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic. There are 104 individuals (or about 0.81% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), 941 (or about 7.29% of the population) belong to no church, are agnostic
Agnosticism
Agnosticism is the view that the truth value of certain claims—especially claims about the existence or non-existence of any deity, but also other religious and metaphysical claims—is unknown or unknowable....
or atheist
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
, and 599 individuals (or about 4.64% of the population) did not answer the question.
Demographics
, the gender distribution of the population was 49.6% male and 50.4% female. The population was made up of 4,572 Swiss men (34.1% of the population), and 2,091 (15.6%) non-Swiss men. There were 4,977 Swiss women (37.1%), and 1,787 (13.3%) non-Swiss women.In there were 74 live births to Swiss citizens and 33 births to non-Swiss citizens, and in same time span there were 131 deaths of Swiss citizens and 10 non-Swiss citizen deaths. Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens decreased by 57 while the foreign population increased by 23. There was 1 Swiss man, 2 Swiss women who emigrated from Switzerland to another country, 128 non-Swiss men who emigrated from Switzerland to another country and 95 non-Swiss women who emigrated from Switzerland to another country. The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources) was an increase of 16 and the non-Swiss population change was an increase of 170 people. This represents a population growth rate of 1.4%.
The age distribution, , in Arbon is; 1,215 children or 9.0% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 1,501 teenagers or 11.2% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 1,783 people or 13.3% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 1,708 people or 12.7% are between 30 and 39, 2,224 people or 16.6% are between 40 and 49, and 1,690 people or 12.6% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 1,476 people or 11.0% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 1,080 people or 8.0% are between 70 and 79, there are 625 people or 4.7% who are between 80 and 89, and there are 128 people or 1.0% who are 90 and older.
the average number of residents per living room was 0.57 which is about equal to the cantonal average of 0.56 per room. In this case, a room is defined as space of a housing unit of at least 4 m² (43.1 sq ft) as normal bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, kitchens and habitable cellars and attics.
About 26% of the total households were owner occupied, or in other words did not pay rent (though they may have a mortgage
Mortgage loan
A mortgage loan is a loan secured by real property through the use of a mortgage note which evidences the existence of the loan and the encumbrance of that realty through the granting of a mortgage which secures the loan...
or a rent-to-own agreement). , there were 5,678 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.2 persons per household. there were 931 single family homes (or 56.6% of the total) out of a total of 1,646 inhabited buildings. There were 135 two family buildings (8.2%), 147 three family buildings (8.9%) and 433 multi-family buildings (or 26.3%). There were 3,250 (or 25.2%) persons who were part of a couple without children, and 6,146 (or 47.6%) who were part of a couple with children. There were 857 (or 6.6%) people who lived in single parent home, while there are 87 persons who were adult children living with one or both parents, 61 persons who lived in a household made up of relatives, 92 who lived in a household made up of unrelated persons, and 351 who are either institutionalized or live in another type of collective housing.
The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 1.73%. , the construction rate of new housing units was 1.3 new units per 1000 residents. there were 6,400 apartments in the municipality. The most common apartment size was the 4 room apartment of which there were 2,164. There were 267 single room apartments and 485 apartments with six or more rooms. the average price to rent an average apartment in Arbon was 979.90 Swiss franc
Swiss franc
The franc is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein; it is also legal tender in the Italian exclave Campione d'Italia. Although not formally legal tender in the German exclave Büsingen , it is in wide daily use there...
s (CHF) per month (US$780, £440, €630 approx. exchange rate from 2000). The average rate for a one room apartment was 490.98 CHF (US$390, £220, €310), a two room apartment was about 729.51 CHF (US$580, £330, €470), a three room apartment was about 897.10 CHF (US$720, £400, €570) and a six or more room apartment cost an average of 1453.57 CHF (US$1160, £650, €930). The average apartment price in Arbon was 87.8% of the national average of 1116 CHF.
Education
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Arbon about 76.1% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either University or a FachhochschuleFachhochschule
A Fachhochschule or University of Applied Sciences is a German type of tertiary education institution, sometimes specialized in certain topical areas . Fachhochschulen were founded in Germany and later adopted by Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Greece...
).
Arbon is home to the Arbon primary school district. It is also home to the Arbon secondary school district.In the 2008/2009 school year there are 884 students in the primary school district. There are 203 children in the kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
, and the average class size is 18.45 kindergartners. Of the children in kindergarten, 89 or 43.8% are female, 83 or 40.9% are not Swiss citizens and 16 or 7.9% do not speak German natively. The lower and upper primary levels begin at about age 5-6 and lasts for 6 years. There are 356 children in who are at the lower primary level and 325 children in the upper primary level. The average class size in the primary school is 21.17 students. At the lower primary level, there are 167 children or 46.9% of the total population who are female, 146 or 41.0% are not Swiss citizens and 4 or 1.1% do not speak German natively. In the upper primary level, there are 148 or 45.5% who are female, 126 or 38.8% are not Swiss citizens and 3 or 0.9% do not speak German natively.
In the secondary school district there are 585 students. At the secondary level, students are divided according to performance. The secondary level begins at about age 12 and usually lasts 3 years. There are 299 teenagers who are in the advanced school, of which 154 or 51.5% are female, 45 or 15.1% are not Swiss citizens and 8 or 2.7% do not speak German natively. There are 262 teenagers who are in the standard school, of which 124 or 47.3% are female, 112 or 42.7% are not Swiss citizens and 21 or 8.0% do not speak German natively. Finally, there are 24 teenagers who are in special or remedial classes, of which 11 or 45.8% are female, 11 or 45.8% are not Swiss citizens and 4 or 16.7% do not speak German natively. The average class size for all classes at the secondary level is 20.04 students.
Arbon is home to the Stadtbibliothek Arbon library. The library has 1,026 books or other media, and loaned out 56,588 items in the same year. It was open a total of 250 days with average of 14.5 hours per week during that year.
Economy
, Arbon had an unemployment rate of 2.97%. , there were 75 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 19 businesses involved in this sector. 2,458 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 127 businesses in this sector. 3,026 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 480 businesses in this sector. there were 8,320 workers who lived in the municipality. Of these, 3,313 or about 39.8% of the residents worked outside Arbon while 3,266 people commuted into the municipality for work. There were a total of 8,273 jobs (of at least 6 hours per week) in the municipality. Of the working population, 11.8% used public transportation to get to work, and 48% used a private car.Government
In addition to the city council, Arbon has a 30-member city parliament. The current mayor is Martin Klöti.In the 2007 federal election
Swiss federal election, 2007
Elections to the Swiss Federal Assembly, the federal parliament of Switzerland, were held on Sunday, 21 October 2007. In a few cantons, a second round of the elections to the Council of States was held on 11 November, 18 November, and 25 November 2007...
the most popular party was the SVP
Swiss People's Party
The Swiss People's Party , also known as the Democratic Union of the Centre , is a conservative political party in Switzerland. Chaired by Toni Brunner, but spearheaded by Christoph Blocher, the party is the largest party in the Federal Assembly, with 58 members of the National Council and 6 of...
which received 37.45% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(22.45%), the CVP
Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland
The Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland is a Christian democratic political party in Switzerland. It is the fourth-largest party in the National Council, with 31 seats, and the largest in the Council of States, with 15 seats. It has one seat, that of Doris Leuthard, on the Swiss...
(13.82%) and the FDP
Free Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Free Democratic Party was a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. It was one of the major parties in Switzerland until its merger with the smaller classical liberal Liberal Party, to form FDP.The Liberals on 1 January 2009....
(11.29%). In the federal election, a total of 3,033 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
Voter turnout
Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election . After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracies since the 1960s...
was 38.2%.
Transportation
Since 1993, Arbon has had an entrance to the A1 motorway. This gives easy access to St. Gallen and ZürichZürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
. Before, there was only a curvy cantonal road.
Arbon is also on the sea line to Rorschach, Romanshorn
Romanshorn
Romanshorn is a municipality in the district of Arbon in the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland.-History:Romanshorn was probably settled in the 7th Century, and is first mentioned in 779 as Rumanishorn in a land grant from Waldrata to the Abbey of St. Gall. During the Late Middle Ages and until...
, and Kreuzlingen. Two bus lines serve traffic to Amriswil
Amriswil
Amriswil is a municipality in Arbon District in the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland.-History:Amriswil is first mentioned in 799 as Amalgeriswilare. During the Middle Ages Amriswil and Brüschwil were part of a Bishop's fief. During the 15th Century, the Helmsdorf family ruled in Eppishausen...
and St. Gallen.
Heritage sites of national significance
The Bleiche (a prehistoric lake-shore settlement), the Gallus Chapel, the CatholicRoman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
Church of St Martin, Arbon Castle
Arbon Castle
Arbon Castle is a castle in the municipality of Arbon of the Canton of Thurgau in Switzerland. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.-References:...
and Historical Museum and the Late-Roman Fortress are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance
Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance
The Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance is a register of some 8,300 items of cultural property in Switzerland...
. The entire city of Arbon is an ISOS
Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites
The Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites is part of a 1981 Ordinance of the Swiss Federal Council implementing the Federal Law on the Protection of Nature and Cultural Heritage.-Sites of national importance:-Types:...
city, as is the hamlet
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
of Kratzern
Notable residents
Among the notable people who have resided in Arbon are the following:- St. Gall
- Franz Saurer
- Adolph SaurerSaurerAdolph Saurer AG was a Arbon, Switzerland , based manufacturer of trucks and buses, under the Saurer and Berna brand names, and active between 1903 and 1982....
- Hippolyt Saurer
- Heinrich Steinbeck